Let Me Stay With You
by Grey-X
Summary: Umi has had feelings for Clef for a long time, but is afraid he won't return her love. Now, the three Magic Knights are visiting Cephiro, and she has the opportunity to tell him. Will she work up the courage to tell Clef how much she loves him?
1. Default Chapter

Let Me Stay With You  
  
a sappy Magic Knight Rayearth romance fic  
  
by Grey Fox  
  
1-29-2003  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth; the talented ladies of CLAMP do. All hail them for their brilliance.  
  
Note: This is my first attempt at an MKR fic and a romance fic, so my apologies if it sucks.  
  
*****  
  
There was a soft knock at Umi's bedroom door, followed by the voice of her mother.  
  
"Umi! Your two friends are here, and they're ready to go now," she told her.  
  
"All right Mom!" she shouted back. "Tell them I'll be out in a minute!"   
  
"Very well," her mother replied. Umi listened to her mother's soft footsteps fade away. Her mother didn't show it, but Umi knew that she was a bit upset by the brusqueness of her reply. Umi didn't mean for her reply to come out so harshly. It's just that she was so frustrated -- preoccupied about several things. One of which was just what to wear for her little "trip" with her best firends, Hikaru and Fuu.  
  
It had been about a year after that final battle against Debonair in Cephiro, after Hikaru became the new Pillar, and then instilled that power within the hearts of Cephiro's populace, abolishing the Pillar system. Hikaru had discovered that she still had the Pillar's ability to transport herself and others from Earth to Cephiro and back. In this way, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu, the three legendary Magic Knights, were able to return to Cephiro to see all the friends they made there; friends that were impossible to forget about; friends whose spirits would be with them in their hearts forever.  
  
Sighing, Umi turned to once again look at herself in the full-length mirror in her room, frowning at her reflection. She was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans. Not that they didn't look good on her ( on the contrary, they hugged her slim figure very well ) , but it was just that she wanted to wear something a bit more.... fancy. To her, all the trips to Cephiro were special occasions and she always wanted to look elegant whenever she went. But this time, she couldn't decide on anything to wear.  
  
*Ah, screw it,* thought Umi, resolving to just go with what she had on. She then headed out of her bedroom and toward the front door. On the way, she caught the sight of her parents in her peripheral vision. As usual, they were openly displaying their affection for one another with the way they talked. This used to induce nausea in Umi every time she had to see this display of gooey-gooey gushy mushiness.  
  
But lately, seeing it made her feel...... jealous.  
  
*****  
  
The cab ride to Tokyo Tower had been quiet and uninteresting. After all, the three girls couldn't talk about going to some magical world where your will determined everything without the driver thinking there was something wrong with them. But once they got up into Tokyo Tower - the same spot where they were summoned without warning to Cephiro twice before - all the girls could talk about was how they would soon be seeing all their friends again.  
  
And for Hikaru and Fuu, something more....  
  
Ever since they found out they were able to go back to Cephiro, Hikaru and Fuu had become closer with some old friends. Much closer. Fuu had pursued a relationship with Ferio, the boy she met during the first time the three girls were summoned to Cephiro, who turned out to be a prince, Emeraude's little brother. Likewise, Hikaru had gotten a lot closer with Lantis, the man she met during the second time they were summoned, who turned out to be Zagato's little brother. Neither of the girls had gotten.... quite that far yet in their relationships; they were taking it slowly. But there was chemistry there, that's for sure.  
  
But not Umi. Oh no. Despite having the skill and power to battle vicious, hideous beasts and powerful adversaries, despite having the strength of heart to fight untold dangers for Cephiro's very existence, she still lacked to courage to come forward to the man she had had feelings for for so long a time.....  
  
"All right, I say it's time we go!" cried Hikaru in her usual perky voice. Fuu nodded in approval.  
  
"Yeah, I guess it's time," sighed Umi.  
  
"Umi-chan, is there something wrong?" inquired Fuu in a concerned tone.  
  
"Wha?" replied Umi. "Oh no, nothing is wrong! Really!" She tried to sound like she meant it, but she knew that it wasn't true, and figured Fuu was able to see through the lie.  
  
"Well, alright Umi-chan, if you say so," said Fuu, although she still sounded dubious.   
  
Hikaru then put one arm around Umi's shoulder, and another around Fuu's shoulder. And then, she willed the three back to Cephiro, back to that place where their lives changed forever......  
  
*****  
  
The three Magic Knights materialized in the entrance hall of the crystalline castle of Cephiro, the same place where Clef's giant pet flying fish safely brought them after they were summoned to Cephiro that second time. At least Hikaru managed to be able to bring them directly into the castle now, instead of several kilometers in the air and having to rely on one of Clef's pet beasts to come and fetch them.  
  
Clef...... It was no use. No matter how hard Umi tried to not think of Clef all the time, her thoughts always seemed to return to him......  
  
"Puu puu puu!"  
  
Umi's musings were abruptly interrupted by that loud "Puu puu puu"ing which could only come from Mokona, the fluffy, bouncy little creature that always had a habit of annoying her. She quickly glanced around, trying to spot Mokona. "Where are you, you little fluffball?!" she cried.  
  
"Puu puu!" Mokona screamed again. Then, without warning ( as usual ) , Mokona jumped up on top of Umi's head, and leaned over to look Umi in the eyes. "Puu puu?" he shrilled again.  
  
Umi just stared at the upside-down Mokona for a few seconds. Normally, Umi would attack Mokona with a heavy object for getting in her face like this, and right now she certainly wasn't in the best of moods. But for some reason, she could not bring herself to get mad at Mokona. So instead, she reached up and plucked him off her head and held him in front of her. "Hi there, Mokona," she said to him.  
  
"Puu puu puu puu puu puu!!!" shrilled Mokona happily.  
  
"He says it's good to see you again, Umi," said Hikaru, the only one of them who could understand the cute fluffy creature.  
  
"I'm sure he is most delighted to see you. You always do seem to be the object of his attention, Umi-chan," Fuu pointed out in her usual matter-of-fact way.  
  
Umi gave Fuu a wry smile, then turned to Mokona and said, "It's good to see you again too, Mokona."  
  
"We're all glad to see you again," came a low, deep voice, echoing from the other end of the hallway. The girls knew immediately who it was.  
  
"LANTIS!" yelled Hikaru, running toward the magic swordsman and jumping into his arms. "Oh Lantis, it's been too long."  
  
"I've missed you too, Hikaru," Lantis replied, hugging Hikaru close to him. As Fuu and Umi walked over to join them, another voice then beckoned another one of the Magic Knights.  
  
"Fuu! My, you look good today," said the Cephirian prince Ferio. Upon hearing Ferio's compliment, Fuu blushed beet red. "Even after all this time, you still blush whenever I say how pretty you are?"  
  
"Coming from you, it has the same effect every time, Ferio-kun," Fuu said. With that, she threw herself into Ferio's arms, and the two warmly embraced one another.  
  
Umi looked away from the two couples, unable to bear the sight. Although she knew it was wrong to be jealous of her friends, she couldn't help but feel envy because of what they had; someone to love. And the only one she truly had such feelings for.....  
  
"Hello again, Magic Knights."  
  
That voice. There was no mistaking that voice. Clef. The most powerful sorceror in all of Cephiro, the mage that trained all the other sorcerors of this land in the magic arts. Umi could feel him approaching her, his soft footsteps gradually getting louder. Umi turned and looked down at Clef - way down. Clef hadn't changed one bit. Despite his 745 years of age, he had the body of a ten-year old boy. For a while, Umi just stood there, staring at him. God, he was such a cute little man. Those locks of lavender hair, that adorable little face, those sparkling eyes. "Uhhh, h-hi Clef," she managed to finally get out.  
  
"Umi, is there something the matter?" asked Clef.  
  
*Oh no, just the fact that I don't have the courage to tell the man I love about my feelings for him,* thought Umi bitterly.  
  
*****  
  
The first few hours the three girls' visit was relaxed and lazy, spent in the castle, simply talking with all their friends. Of course, not all the friends they had made were there. Their adversaries-turned-friends from Chizeta, Fahren and Autozam were nowhere around. Being able to see them was a rare occasion indeed. Umi couldn't help but wonder how Tatra and Tarta, the princesses of Chizeta, were doing.  
  
However, since it was early in the morning in Cephiro when the girls arrived, there was still plenty of time to go outside the castle while there was still daylight. Hikaru suggested that they all go out for a picnic, and everyone agreed.. So the three Magic Knights headed outside, with Mokona, Lantis, Ferio...... and Clef.  
  
Umi really hadn't been hungry and therefore really didn't eat all that much during the picnic. Instead, she just decided to take a little stroll through the grassy meadows and forest surrounding the castle. *It's so serene and beautiful,* she thought to herself. Of course, it hadn't always been so beautiful. During the time Cephiro had no Pillar, Cephiro had turned into a desolate wasteland, and almost came to the point of destruction. But they had been successful in the ensuing battles and restored the land. *It was all worth it,* she thought as she took in the sight of the tranquil landscape.  
  
Suddenly, the quiet was disturbed by the sound of forceful footsteps and uncontrolled giggling. Umi turned to see Fuu running through the outer edges of the forest, who was playfully being chased by Ferio. Both were smiling broadly as their little chase went on. Then, out of the corner of her eye, Umi caught a glimpse of Hikaru. Umi turned to see that she was sitting at the base of a tree next to Lantis. The two were talking, about what, Umi couldn't hear, as they were too far away. But judging from the amused expressions on Hikaru and Lantis' faces, Umi guessed that Hikaru was telling Lantis about how her three elder brothers had gotten their asses handed to them by her in kendo training. Again.  
  
That reminded her of her own successes in her fencing club. *I wish I could talk to Clef about that, like Hikaru is able to talk to Lantis,* she thought sullenly. She looked at Hikaru and Lantis again; they looked so happy together. She then looked back at Fuu and Ferio, still busy with their playful little game of tag. How she longed to be able to have this kind of relationship with Clef. But how would he react if she told him just how she felt? What if he didn't return her feelings? *I couldn't bear the pain of rejection,* she sobbed inwardly, looking down at the ground. But she picked her head up and saw the two happy couples again. *No, it'll be worse if I don't tell him at all. I've got to try, at least.* Having made up her mind, she started walking again.  
  
Knowing Clef, he had probably found some peaceful place to meditate or something. He wasn't exactly antisocial, but he still valued quiet and privacy. It took a while before Umi could locate the master sorceror; just as she expected, he was sitting in the middle of a lush, grassy meadow, staring up at the cloudy sky, obviously thinking about something. *Well, now's a good a time as any,* Umi thought to herself as she slowly approached the mage.   
  
She was now only about five meters away from Clef. He had not noticed her, as he was facing away from her. After a brief moment of hesitation, Umi worked up the courage to speak. "Um, Clef?" she said softly.  
  
"Hmmmm?" Turning around, he saw Umi standing a short distance away from him. "Oh, Umi, I didn't notice you were there," he said.  
  
"I'm not... bothering you, am I, Clef?" she asked, hoping she hadn't annoyed him in some way.  
  
"Err, no, you didn't. It's just..." Clef paused for a second. "Well, there's been a lot on my mind lately."  
  
*That makes two of us,* thought Umi. Out loud, she said, "What's on your mind? Nothing serious, I hope. I mean, everything seems fine here in Cephiro now."  
  
"It's true that a good number of our problems are now solved, thanks to you Magic Knights," said Clef. "It's just, there are other things to take care of."  
  
"Like what?" asked Umi. She was interested in what Clef had to say.  
  
"Nothing that would really interest you," replied Clef.  
  
"No, really, it's OK," said Umi. "If there's something troubling you, you should talk about it." She would know, for there was something greatly troubling her that she had come to talk about.  
  
"Well, for starters, I've been having some difficulty with the training of Cephiro's aspiring mages," answered Clef. "I'm starting to think my ability to teach is beginning to slip."  
  
"Oh, that can't be true," said Umi comfortingly. "You're the best mage I've ever known. Granted, where I come from there aren't any mages, but still...."  
  
A soft chuckle escaped from Clef's throat, interrupting Umi. "Well, thanks for the support, Umi. But it's not just that; there's other tasks I've had to attend to. Fulfilling the promise I made to Eagle Vision and helping his people out, for starters. That hasn't been the easiest thing. Also, there's the Chizeta colony on Cephiro now that...."  
  
"The WHAT?!" yelled Umi. She hadn't heard anything about people from Chizeta living in Cephiro.  
  
"Oh, I guess I haven't told you about that yet. It started shortly after your last visit. Well, I'm sure you learned from your time with the princesses of Chizeta that their homeworld has become too overpopulated. The princesses came to me and asked if they could establish a colony here in Cephiro," Clef explained.  
  
"Really?" gasped Umi, surprised by this news. "Did you let them?'  
  
"There was no reason not to," answered Clef. "But it's been kind of a hassle. I've had to handle much of the details. I'm no diplomat, and some of the Chizeta people can be a bit..... rowdy." At that, Umi smiled. If Tatra and Tarta were any indication, the people of Chizeta weren't the most orderly bunch in the universe.  
  
"At least that'll help Chizeta's overcrowdedness," sighed Umi. "I remember how much the problem troubled Tarta."  
  
"I spoke to both of the princesses recently, by the way," added Clef. "They both said they would like to see you again."  
  
"Do you think there will be a chance before we have to go back?" asked Umi excitedly, for she too wished to see Tatra and Tarta again.  
  
"Perhaps Umi, but...." Clef started to say, but was interrupted by Mokona, who had just jumped atop his head. "Hey! What the...."  
  
"Puu puu puu puu puu!!" cried Mokona, staring down a peeved Umi.  
  
"Hey, get out of here!" fumed Umi. "Go eat Primera or something!"   
  
"Puu puu puu?" inquired Mokona, although he knew that Umi couldn't understand him. Irritated, Umi lunged forward and tried to grab hold of Mokona. But the bouncy little creature simply hopped off Clef's head, and Umi ended up clumsily falling over onto Clef. Both of them fell down onto the ground, with Umi lying on top of Clef, who had began flailing underneath Umi, being crushed by her larger, heavier form.  
  
Umi hastily got up off of Clef and helped him stand up. "Oh Clef, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! Are you alright?!" she asked him in a worried tone.  
  
Clef brushed the dirt and bits of grass off his robe, then turned to Umi and said, "I'm fine Umi. No harm done. Besides, I don't blame you. I know you and Mokona still don't get along quite so well."  
  
"That's an understatement," mused Umi.  
  
Just then, Primera flew up to the two. "Umm, Clef-sama. One of the representatives from the colony needs to speak with you," she told Clef.  
  
Clef let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. I'll see him shortly," he said to Primera. Turning toward Umi, he said, "My apologies, but I must attend to business."  
  
"It's OK Clef. I understand you've got duties to attend to," she said. Clef just smiled, then turned and walked away.  
  
*A chance to see Tarta and Tatra again. Well, that'll be interesting,* Umi thought to herself, feeling happy about the possibility of seeing more of her old friends.  
  
That is, until she remembered why she had come to speak with Clef in the first place. And how she had totally forgotten to say what she really wanted to him.  
  
"Gah!" shouted Umi, smacking herself in the face with her hand. How could she have been such a baka? She got so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Mokona had tried to eat Primera. Again.  
  
*****  
  
For the rest of the day and that evening, Umi never had the chance to talk to Clef again. His business with the people of the Chizeta colony had taken up most of his time. Even worse, people from Autozam had shown up as well, and Clef had to work with them on Autozam's continuing problem with mental energy. To say their arrival was bad timing would have been an understatement. Well, at least Hikaru and Lantis got to see Geo Metro and Zazu Torque again. But unluckily for Umi, neither Tatra or Tarta were there during the meetings with Clef.  
  
It was the middle of the night when all the meetings were finally over. Clef had immediately retired to his quarters once it had all ended. Umi thought that since he had had such a stressful day, she wouldn't bother him again until tomorrow morning.  
  
That was fifteen minutes ago, and Umi was starting to think otherwise. She lay on the bed in the room that was reserved for her, staring straight up at the ceiling, deep in thought. *Damnit,* she thought to herself, *I had gotten so close to finally being able to let out my feelings for him, and I totally blew it! Now he's probably fast asleep, and I'll have to wait until morning.*  
  
Trouble is, she was in no mood to wait for the morning to come to finally open up to the man she loved. After finally working up to courage to tell all to Clef in the park that day, she didn't have the patience to put it off any longer.  
  
Umi jumped up off the bed and walked out of her room. She then headed straight for Clef's quarters.  
  
*****  
  
Clef stepped out of his bathing room and put on his bathrobe. A nice, long, relaxing bath was exactly what he needed after today. Having to deal with both the engineers from Autozam and the colonial representative from Chizeta in the same day was extremely taxing on him. Then again, he had no choice but to attend to his duties. After all, he had made a promise to Eagle Vision before his death to aid his world, and he had promised the princesses of Chizeta to help the colonists in any way he could.  
  
The princesses of Chizeta. Umi certainly seemed delighted about the opportunity to meet with them once again. Shouldn't be surprising, considering how they bonded during the events that transpired when the Magic Knights were summoned to Cephiro for the second time.  
  
Now that he thought about it, he realized he really didn't know all that much about those two. And he really didn't know all that much about what happened between them and Umi during the attempted invasion. She never really talked about it much with him.  
  
*Come to think of it,* Clef thought, *there have been few times Umi and I have simply talked with one another alone. It was nice the way we did today....*  
  
Clef's thoughts were interrupted by a loud pounding on his door. Damnit, who would have the nerve to disturb him this late at night, and after such a stressful day?! "Enter!" he shouted angrily.  
  
His bad mood melted away once the doors opened and he saw who it was: Umi. She was still dressed in the same clothes she wore since she arrived this morning, and had that same troubled look on her face that she had earlier when they talked. Clef hadn't really noticed it earlier, but now, seeing how she came to talk to him so late at night, he was curious, and concerned. It reminded Clef of when she came to see him that night, after she was summoned to Cephiro for the second time.......  
  
"Um, Clef-san," she said softly, trying to sound as respectful as possible, "errr, I'm not.... bothering you, am I?"  
  
"Well, er, no, not really," replied Clef. Actually, Umi's untimely arrival did in fact irritate him at first, but he didn't want to make Umi feel unwelcome. Then he noticed that Umi was staring at him. At first, Clef wasn't certain why. Then he remembered he was wearing nothing but a bath robe. "I, er, just got done taking a bath," explained Clef.  
  
"Oh, OK," said Umi, her gaze still fixed on Clef.  
  
"Umi, if there's something troubling you, please tell me," said Clef.  
  
Umi knew it was now or never. "Well, earlier today, out in the meadow, there was something I wanted to say, but forgot to, and......" Her words trailed off as she continued to stare at Clef's barely-clothed little body. *God, he's so adorable!* she thought to herself.  
  
"Yes, Umi?" said Clef. He could sense from her aura now that this was something she had been wrestling with for the longest time. "It's alright, you can tell me."  
  
At that, Umi's confidence returned to her. This was it. But as she tried to think of exactly what to say, she now found that she simply couldn't put put her feelings into words. She closed her eyes, tried to concentrate, but the words still wouldn't come.....  
  
"Oh, the hell with it!" Umi exclaimed. And before Clef could react, Umi bent down, snatched him up in her arms and pulled him towards her. Her lips crashed against his as she kissed him passionately. Clef's eyes were wide open with surprise; this was not at all what he expected! Umi's arms held Clef tighter, hugging him closely to her, as her tongue forced his lips open. Umi deepened the kiss, and Clef found himself unable to stay in control, and returned Umi's kiss, their tongues dancing in unison. It only lasted for a minute or so, but to Umi, it seemed to last an eternity, as she finally let go and showed Clef her feelings for him with her actions instead of words.  
  
Umi abruptly broke the kiss and set Clef back down at the floor, and for a moment, the two of them just stared into each other's eyes. Umi then turned away and covered her face in her hands, "Clef, I-I-I'm sorry. But I-I love you, and I couldn't put it into words."  
  
"Umi," said Clef softly, his eyes widening as he heard Umi's words.  
  
"I've wanted to tell you for the longest time how much I love you," Umi continued, tears beginning to form in her crystalline-blue eyes. "B-but, I was always afraid you wouldn't feel the same way. You've lived so long; I'm nothing more than a mere child to you. But, I just HAD to let it out, tell you. Otherwise I would have gone stir-crazy!"  
  
Clef said nothing. He merely walked over to the blue-haired Magic Knight and stood in front of her. He lifted up and pulled Umi's hands away from her face, and looked into her tear-drenched eyes. "Umi, you don't have to be ashamed."  
  
"Clef?" whispered Umi.  
  
"Umi, I guess now is the time to tell you," began Clef. "For the longest time, I've felt the same way toward you. But I was always fearful of rejection too." Clef's lips then curled into a smile. "I always thought you would have thought it too weird to be with someone who looked like a little boy but was in fact over seven centuries old."  
  
"You, you mean it?!" gasped Umi. Clef just said the one thing Umi had never dared to hope would actually be true.  
  
"Yes, I do," replied Clef. "For the longest time, I've always kept to myself, never really letting anyone get close. It was a very lonely existence. But after I met you, I began to long for you. You.. you're unlike any other woman I've ever met, Umi."  
  
That was it - the words Umi had longed to hear for so long. "Oh Clef!" she exclaimed as she snatched up his tiny body again and hugged him close to her, squeezing him tightly.  
  
"U-Umi...... *cough* can't..... breathe........ *cough* " spouted Clef weakly, being crushed by Umi's greater physical strength.  
  
"OH!" cried Umi as she loosened her death hold on Clef. "I'm sorry, Clef. Guess I'll have to be more careful around you," she said. She then brought Clef's face up to hers, nuzzling his cheek with hers as she ran her hand through his thick, lavender hair. "Is this better, Clef?" she asked sweetly.  
  
"Um, yes, much," Clef responded hastily. No matter how hard he tried to resist, Clef found himself getting aroused from Umi cuddling him close to her. He prayed that she wouldn't notice, but that was unlikely, considering the pitifully inadequate garment he was currently wearing.   
  
"So, er, Clef, what now?" asked Umi. After finally admitting her feelings for Clef, Umi wasn't sure what she should do next.  
  
"Errr, I don't know," he replied, then involuntarily let out a yawn. Damn, was that ever the wrong thing to do at this point.  
  
"Well, you're obviously tired after a hard day's work. Maybe you should just go to sleep," stated Umi. She began to carry him over to his bed, like a mother carrying her child. She then set him down on it and pulled the blankets over him.  
  
"Thank you, Umi. I...." Clef's words trailed off as Umi climbed under the covers with him. His eyes were once again wide open with surprise. "Umi....?" asked a bewildered Clef.  
  
"Shhhhhh," commanded Umi as she once again wrapped her arms around the man she loved. She pulled him close to her until their bodies were pressing together, Clef's head pillowed against her bosom. "No words, no questions, my love. Just please, let me stay with you."  
  
And with that, the two drifted off into a deep sleep, fully content, finally having admitted their love for one another.  
  
*****  
  
Questions? Comments? Death threats because you're an Umi/Ascot shipper? Send 'em to me in a review.  
  
So long,  
  
Grey Fox 


	2. Default Chapter

Let Me Stay With You  
  
chapter 2  
  
a sappy Umi/Clef romance fic  
  
by Grey Fox  
  
9-25-2003  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Magic Knight Rayearth; the talented ladies of CLAMP do. All hail them for their brilliance.  
  
**************  
  
Clef slowly awoke in his bed, tepidly trying to recall what had happened last night as he did so, a habit the studious, disciplined mage had acquired over the centuries. At first, all that came back to him were bitter memories of all the exhaustive work he had to do yesterday. Those people from Chizeta sure haven't made his life any easier. Then he remembered that he took a hot bath, and.... things got really fuzzy after that. But he had some vague recollections of a dream. A dream that involved.... Umi. Clef winced at this as he sat up. Why was he tortured with a dream about the girl he secretly loved? There was no way....  
  
Suddenly, Clef became aware of something in his bed that definitely didn't belong there. Someone else was occupying it! Someone with long.... flowing.... blue.... hair.... UMI!!! It wasn't a dream at all!! She really had come to him last night, and said that she loved him, just as he did her. Clef just stared at her, agape. She was so indescribably beautiful, and she looked so peaceful sleeping there, smiling broadly, looking so happy, as if her deepest desire had been fulfilled.  
  
Clef had no idea how long he sat there gawking, but eventually, Umi stirred and her eyes slowly opened. She almost immediately turned to face Clef, as if her gaze had been attracted to him magnetically. "It.... it wasn't a dream," she said softly.  
  
"N-no, it wasn't," was Clef's unsteady reply, still thinking that the whole situation was too good to be true.  
  
Umi smiled a big, mischievious smile. "Good," was all she said. With impossible speed, she reached out and ensnared Clef in her arms, effortlessly pulling him back down to the bed with her. Clef let out a yelp in surprise, but Umi sweetly whispered in his ear, "Calm down, my love," and Clef relaxed a little. Umi then hugged Clef tighter and closer to her, sighing romantically as she snuggled up with the man she loved. She started to playfully fumble with Clef's locks of lavender hair. It felt so good, to be able to hold him close like this, cuddling him. It made Umi feel like as long as Clef was with her, the universe couldn't do a thing to him, and he'd be hers, forever. Her little Clef....  
  
Clef reveled in the sensation of being held so close by Umi; he felt as if he were almost melting into her arms. He closed his eyes as Umi fidgeted with his hair and let himself drift off. He was becoming hypnotized by the sound of Umi's steady breathing, the beating of her heart, the warmth of her body enveloping him. He had never been this close with any woman before. And oh, how he was enjoying it....  
  
A fact not lost on Umi.  
  
"Well, I can tell SOMEONE'S happy!" Umi suddenly said. Clef looked at her, puzzled, wondering what she was talking about. Then realization swept over him as he remembered he was only wearing a flimsy bath robe, and thus Umi could easily sense....  
  
Umi was giggling like mad at Clef's disposition, while he was just staring back at her, a look of indignation on his face. "That's not funny!" he cried as he sat up.   
  
Umi just smiled back at him. "Oh, but it is! It is!" she replied. But then again, Clef did have a point; he really wasn't wearing much, while she was still fully clothed. Their current situation was indeed a bit unfair. But then, an idea suddenly popped into Umi's head, and a big, mischievious smile crossed her face yet again. "Well, if you're that upset, I've got an idea about how I can level the playing field," she said seductively. Then, with one swift motion, she sat up and took off her t-shirt and threw it aside, leaving her with only a white, lacy bra to cover her.... top.  
  
Clef's indignation now turned to utter shock, his gaze fixed on the portions of Umi's body that she had just so generously revealed to him. He felt as if his eyeballs were going to pop right out of his skull.  
  
"Umm, Clef, my face is up here," Umi said teasingly, pointing upwards. Clef finally forced himself to look up at Umi, who was still smiling broadly.  
  
"I, er, well, uhh," Clef fumbled with is words, trying to find something to say, but his brain was refusing to cooperate at the moment, for obvious reasons.  
  
Umi didn't mind. She had actually expected this sort of reaction from him. In fact, he seemed to let himself be seduced so easily and quickly. The respectful and disciplined mage, undone so easily by one young girl. And Umi liked that. Liked the sense of power it gave her, knowing that she could not only physically overpower him, but how she could so easily ensnare him with her wiles. It was that disposition of his that made Clef so delightfully charming.  
  
"C'mere you," Umi said, once again reaching out and dragging him close to her. This time though, she brought his face up to hers and locked lips with him. Clef was overcome with shock yet again, but thoroughly enjoyed the kiss, their tongues dancing in unison. Umi then took his hands in hers and positioned his arms around her back, and likewise wrapped her arms around his, as she continued the deep, passionate kiss.  
  
How long this went on - seconds, minutes, hours - neither of them could say. All they did know is that their little make-out session was rudely interrupted by a loud "YAAAAHHHH!!!" coming from the door. Umi and Clef broke the kiss and turned to see Ferio standing in the doorway, with a face that looked as if he had seen, well, something that he didn't think he'd see.  
  
Now it was Umi's turn to feel indignant. "FERIO, YOU EVER HEAR OF KNOCKING?!!!" she screamed at the green-haired swordsman.  
  
"I did. Three times," replied Ferio, still looking flabbergasted. "But there was no reply, and, well, I thought something was wrong, and, uh..."  
  
"What did you come here for?" demanded Clef, also angered about the invasion of privacy.  
  
"Well, you've got that meeting with the new governor real soon, and...." Ferio started to say.  
  
"WHAT?!" yelled Clef, cutting Ferio off. He looked over at his timepiece. "It's that late?! Oh no! I have to be over there in twenty minutes!"  
  
"Well, then, um, I guess I'll be leaving now," said Ferio shakily, a look of embarrassment etched on his face. Then he dashed away at breakneck speed before either Umi or Clef had a chance to do anything to him. Which was probably a VERY prudent move on his part.  
  
"Um, Clef, what was that all about?" asked a confused Umi.  
  
"I'm supposed to meet with the newly appointed governor of the Chizeta colony today and discuss a few things," Clef explained as he put on his robes and grabbed his mage-staff. "And I hadn't counted on sleeping this blasted late!"  
  
Umi looked down guiltily. That was probably because of her. "Um, Clef, can I come with you?" she then asked.  
  
"It'll be a bunch of boring diplomatic stuff," said Clef. "I doubt you'll want to be there for that."  
  
"But I can't think of a better way to spend this visit to Cephiro than to be with you," she said pleadingly.  
  
Clef decided to give in to her request. She began to follow Clef out of the bedroom, but he turned to her and said, "Umi, you might want to put your shirt back on." Umi looked down at herself and blushed, then grabbed her t-shirt off the floor and hastily put it back on, not even taking the time to tuck it in.  
  
As Umi and Clef walked down the hallways of the castle of Cephiro, a disturbing thought came to her. "Uh, Clef, do you think Ferio will tell anyone about, well, us?"  
  
Clef thought about it for a minute, then replied. "I believe that Ferio is smart enough to not gossip about me."  
  
"Do you really believe that?" asked Umi.  
  
"No," said Clef.  
  
**************  
  
Umi and Clef walked side-by-side through the streets of the small colony, making their way to the capital building. "So this is the colony I've heard so much about," Umi thought aloud as she looked at all that was going on around her . She had never actually seen what life was like on Chizeta, since the only contact she had had with its people was on the military ship Bravada. So it was quite a new experience for Umi to see normal people from Chizeta going about their daily lives, and she assumed that what she was seeing represented life on Chizeta itself.  
  
Clef's voice snapped Umi out of her thoughts. "We're here," Clef told her. Umi looked ahead of her, and then looked up. The structure that was before them looked like a miniature version of the Bravada, only slightly modified to act as a building.  
  
"Must be some sort of trend," commented Umi.  
  
"What is?" asked Clef, confused.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Umi quickly said, dropping the subject. "Let's just go in."  
  
And go in they did. They were instantly greeted by the capital building's staff, who instantly reminded Umi of the guards she had seen on the Bravada, since their attire was almost exactly the same. One of the guards led them to a small waiting room. "Please have a seat. The governor will be here to meet you shortly," the guard said cordially, then she exited the room, leaving Clef and Umi alone.  
  
"I reeaaaaallly hope this doesn't take too long. I'm still exhausted from yesterday," Clef said irritably.  
  
"Is that so?" asked Umi, a bit of a teasing tone in her voice. "From what I saw, you certainly slept well last night. I know I did!" she told him wryly, winking at him. This caused Clef to blush beet-red. Umi decided to continue teasing him. "Awww, you shouldn't be so embarrassed. I know you enjoyed cuddling up with me last night. I know I did!!" This comment made Clef blush an ever deeper red.  
  
"Umi, do you really think, umm, this is the, well, uh, appropriate time to talk about, well, err, um..." Clef spluttered out nervously. This caused Umi to tingle all over with giddiness even more. He just looked all the more adorable when he was embarrassed and confused. She decided not to answer him and instead lift him off his chair and set him seated on her lap. Then she folded her arms around him and hugged him close. Also, she buried her face in his fluffy, lavender hair and took a big whiff. Everything about Clef - his adorable small size, the ease with which he could be picked up and held so close, the softness of his touch, the very smell of him - all combined to drive Umi mad with passion for him. She held him even closer and tighter. And Clef, despite himself, surrendered to Umi's embrace, beginning to thoroughly enjoy her dominant physical position.  
  
"Awww, now ain't that cute?!"  
  
That voice.... That bizarre... Osaka... accent... No... it couldn't be.....  
  
Umi lifted her head to see where the voice had come from. Standing in the doorway of the waiting room stood none other than Tatra, the first princess of Chizeta. And she was smiling and giggling as she stared at Umi, with Clef seated in her lap.  
  
Clef regained his composure first. He promptly leaped off of Umi's lap and stood at the center of the room, trying to regain his composure and air of authority. It wasn't working; Tatra was still giggling like mad after having seen Umi's little display. Umi then got up out of her chair and walked up to Tatra. "Tatra, it's so good to see you again. I missed you a lot," she told her.  
  
"I've missed you too, Umi. I was startin' t'think I'd never get the opportunity t'see you again." With that, she reached out and embraced Umi with a friendly, sisterly hug. She then let go of her and asked, "What've you been doin' with himself lately?"  
  
"Well, nothing all that exciting, really," admitted Umi. "Just living out a normal life back home on Earth, occassionally coming here to Cephiro..."  
  
"To meet with your boyfriend, obviously!" Tatra cut in, still smiling that carefree smile of hers. "And I must say, the two of you make an impossibly cute couple!!!" Now it was Umi's turn to blush an impossibly deep shade of red. First Ferio, now Tatra! Why did she have such rotten luck, people accidently poking in at the worst possible time?! She didn't even bother looking over at Clef to see how he took Tatra's comment.  
  
But Clef spoke up just then. "Um, Princess Tatra, I'm happy you've gotten the opportunity to see Umi again. However, we're here for a meeting with the new governor of this colony."  
  
Tatra turned to Clef and said, "You're looking at her."  
  
It took a while for Umi's brain to register what she had just heard, but once she did, she could barely contain her surprise. "You mean... YOU'RE the governor?!!!"  
  
Tatra turned to face Umi again. "Indeed I am. Running this colony is important and a huge responsibility, so the royal family decided that I should see to it personally."  
  
Umi nodded, starting to see the logic. "But what about Tarta?" she asked. "Isn't she here too?"  
  
Tatra shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Only one person could be appointed. And I was chosen since I was older," she explained to Umi. "As you might guess though, my dear sister was more than a little upset," she added with a sly smirk.  
  
"Yeah, I bet she was," replied Umi, smirking as well. She knew all too well that Tarta had a short temper like hers. She found herself wishing she could have seen Tarta's reaction when it was decided Tatra would rule the colony as governor.  
  
"Anyway, there's business I have to attend to," said Tatra, turning back to Clef. "We had better get started."  
  
"Ah, yes, of course," Clef responsed uneasily, still mortified that someone had walked in on him and Umi a second time. But now was not the time to dwell on that. Tatra left the waiting room, motioning for Clef to follow, which he did.  
  
*Oh, what the hell? Might as well go in with them,* Umi thought as she followed Clef and Tatra.  
  
**************  
  
Umi continued to sulk in the incredibly comfortable chair she found in one of the many rooms of the castle of Cephiro. Ah man, did she ever need it. Clef was not kidding when he said she would probably find that meeting uninteresting. Political science wasn't exactly one of Umi's strong points in school; actually, it kind of bored her. So for her, that long meeting with Clef and Tatra wasn't really uninteresting - it was absolutely mind-numbing. She would never have guessed anything involving Tatra could be so dull. Thank God she had found this room with this chair; right now, all she wanted to sit here and let her brain recover from the atrophy. In fact, Umi was so out of it, she didn't even hear the soft, gentle footsteps that were gradually coming closer to her. She didn't even notice anyone was in the room with her until she heard someone speak.  
  
"Hello, Umi-chan. Is anything the matter?" she heard a concerned voice ask.  
  
Only one person could be that sweet and polite. It was none other than her dear friend Fuu. Umi lazily turned her head to face her. "Hey Fuu. How was your morning?"  
  
"Oh, very enjoyable, thank you," she replied, as impossibly polite as ever. "But I'm curious as to where you were this morning. I didn't see you around anywhere, nor did anyone else."  
  
"Ah," said Umi, only half-listening. "Well, I pretty much spent the whole morning with Clef."  
  
"Really?" asked Fuu, as if some suspicion of her had just been confirmed. "Well, I see it's true then."  
  
Now Umi was shocked out of her delirium. She turned and gazed at Fuu with a frustrated stare. "What does THAT mean?!" she demanded angrily.  
  
"Well, that you and Clef-sama have gotten together, of course. I'm so happy for you Umi-chan," replied Fuu, again flashing that impossibly sweet smile.  
  
Oh boy, NOW Umi was mad. Forgetting her mentally fatigued state, she stood up and glared at Fuu. "OK, now I'm REALLY pissed off! I swear, whatever Ferio told you...."  
  
"Ferio?" asked Fuu, cutting Umi off. "Didn't hear a word from Ferio. I've known how you've felt about Clef-sama ever since we returned to Cephiro," she explained.  
  
Umi blinked. Now her anger had given way to utter confusion. "You.... have?" she asked stupidly.  
  
"Why yes I have, Umi-chan," said Fuu. "Whenever Clef-sama comes into a room, I notice that your breathing speeds up slightly, you ears turn red and get hot, and you cannot stop glancing at him. I have observed that Clef-sama has the same reaction whenever you enter a room as well."  
  
Umi just continued to stare at Fuu, totally nonplussed. "It was.... THAT OBVIOUS?!!" Fuu simply smiled and nodded. Umi noisily slumped back down into her chair. She suddenly remembered how during their very first time in Cephiro, she had constantly ribbed Fuu for acting like a lovesick little puppy whenever Ferio was around. Seems that now the tables had turned. "But Fuu-chan... how come you never said anything about it to me?"  
  
"I did not feel it was my place to intervene in this matter, and I always assumed that either you or Clef-sama would eventually make the right move," she answered. "It took a bit longer than I had expected, but what is important now is that the two of you are finally together. So, tell me, how exactly did it happen?"  
  
Umi surrendered completely and told Fuu about the previous night and the morning's events in the colony. All the while, Fuu listened attentively as Umi told her tale. When Umi had finished, Fuu clasped her hands together happily and said, "Oh, that is incredibly romantic!" Umi just rolled her eyes. Sometimes Fuu could be a bit too much of a girlie-girl. "Umi-chan, do you have any plans about how to spend the rest of our visit?"  
  
Umi was a bit stunned by the abruptness of this question. For someone who said she hadn't wanted to butt into this situation, she was certainly being nosy about it now. "Well, actually, I have no idea. I want to do something else with Clef though. We only have a couple more days here."  
  
"Well then, I suggest you do something that will leave a big impact; something that will stay fresh in his mind until we come to Cephiro again," suggested Fuu.  
  
Umi considered Fuu's advice. She really wasn't in the mood to think too hard right now, her brain still recovering from that ultra-boring meeting. Something that would leave an impact....   
  
The light bulbs went off in Umi's head. Oh yeah, this would leave an impact, that's for sure....  
  
**************  
  
Umi patiently waited outside, at the very base of the castle of Cephiro. But Umi was not exactly well known for being the patient type. She began to pace around irritably. Damnit, when was he going to arrive?  
  
That question was answered rather abruptly. "Umi, I'm here," she heard Clef say from behind her, startling her slightly. She turned around and smiled at him.  
  
"Well, Clef, I'm glad you came. I've got an idea for something we can do together, but I need your power to do it," she told him.  
  
Clef raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Remember that other time I came to talk to you, and you magically conjured up that chair for me to sit in?" asked Umi. Clef just nodded. "Well, I know of a device from Earth that I'd like to show you. Is there any way I can.... I dunno.... link with you as you do that creation spell, so you can create this object I'm thinking of?"  
  
Clef considered Umi's request for a minute, then said, "I suppose I could try," holding out his hand. Umi took it in hers, and she heard Clef say, "Now concentrate on what you want to create." Umi closed her eyes and did just that. Then she felt a tingling sensation all over her body, which made her shiver with delight. It was almost as if their auras were joining, melding together.  
  
But just as quickly as it began, the sensation ended. Umi opened her eyes and looked to her right. It worked! To her right was exactly what she had wanted....  
  
A motorcycle. And two helmets, each hanging on a handle. One for both of them.  
  
"Uh, Umi, exactly what is that?" asked a confused Clef. "Is it some means of transportation?"  
  
Umi smiled wickedly at him. "You'll see," she said as she picked him up. She seated herself on the motorcycle and placed Clef in front of her. She then reached for the helmets. One of them was smaller than the other, and even had a hole for Clef's horned headgear to stick through. Clef's spell had worked everything out prefectly. "Put this on," she told him as she put on her own helmet. "Oh, and you might want to do something about your staff," suggested Umi, and Clef took her advice, his staff dematerializing into thin air, to be recalled the next time he desired it.  
  
"Now what?" asked Clef, still bewildered.  
  
Umi didn't answer. Instead, she started up the motorcycle and peeled out. "Get ready for the ride of your life, my little man!" she yelled as they sped off.  
  
"YAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" Clef screamed out of surprise and more-than-just-a-little fear. Umi just laughed teasingly as she rode across the rocky landscape, away from the castle. There were several hours of daylight left, and Umi was going to take advantage of them, giving Clef a ride he would never forget.....  
  
THE END (for real this time)  
  
**************  
  
Author's Note: Yeah, I know I said previously that this was only gonna be a one-chapter story. But hey, I got so much positive feedback, and so many requests to write more, that I decided to give it one more go. Besides, I'm kinda stuck with my *OTHER* Rayearth story, Tragic Heroes, so I figured I'd take a break from that fic and do one more chapter for this story. And don't ask for a third chapter; this is the definitive end of this story. But I might write more fluffy MKR romance somewhere down the line, and hey, if ya want more Rayearth goodness from me, then maybe you should go check out Tragic Heroes (it's in the Metal Gear section, since it's a crossover with that game series) . Yeah, shameless plug, I know....  
  
So long,  
  
Grey Fox 


End file.
